Ning Zhuo was growing older.
Ning Zhuo and Sun Lingtong caused an uproar at the black market.
In the alleys, several lurking cultivators fell to the ground in succession.
Ning Zhuo followed the sound, turned around suddenly, and was startled to see these cultivators. If he was really attacked by these people, he would be in dire straits.
Then he cried out in surprise and delight, "Mom, how did you get here? I haven't seen you for so long!"
Buddhist Physician Meng Yaoyin smiled, "The things you've done these past few days, I've been watching, and they are very commendable."
She saw Ning Zhuo approaching and exclaimed, "How quickly you've grown so tall, it seems like just yesterday when I was listening to nursery rhymes to put Little Zhuo to sleep."
"Follow me."
Ning Zhuo then followed Meng Yaoyin, descending underground into a secret base.
Meng Yaoyin said, "I've established many such secret bases, this one is Base Dingzi."
"I've left behind some things here."
"Now it seems, you are qualified to possess these things. It won't be a burden on your heart due to their great worth, nor will it be like a child holding gold in a crowded market."
Ning Zhuo obtained the Cloud Concealed Bud.
Ning Zhuo obtained the "Lava Fairy Palace Essence".
Ning Zhuo obtained a Mechanical Sickle.
Meng Yaoyin advised, "The Cloud Concealed Bud is a wondrous flower, containing the essence of cloud pathways, and can help you conceal many secrets."
"The 'Lava Fairy Palace Essence' is a compilation of experiences I have summarized, as well as conjectures about the layout of the Immortal Palace and the highly regarded individuals from the three sects."
"This Mechanical Sickle, you must pay the most attention to! It is one of the Night Rain Demon Weapons, extremely sharp and difficult to tame. The more cultivators it devours, the greater its power becomes. I've paid a great price to tame it, hence it is most affectionate towards me. Even so, I need to reforge it periodically to cleanse the accumulated malice. Otherwise, there is the risk of backlash."
"Before my death, I heavily sealed it."
"This is a measure of expedience."
"The longer it takes, the greater the possibility of it breaking the seal. Once the seal is broken, it will become even more fierce and murderous, like a ravenously hungry beast, and those close to it will be in danger."
"You carry the scent I left on you, so it shouldn't immediately seek to trouble you."
"When you encounter an opponent too difficult to deal with, release its seal, let it fight your enemy. Then, take the opportunity to seal it again."
"You cannot do this too often; the more enemies it devours, the harder it will be to control."
"Its greatest weakness lies in the mechanical underbelly in its snake form, at the position of 'seven inches'. That's where its malice lies hidden, and if you remove it, the malice will greatly diminish."
"However, this malice has already been tamed by me."
"If in the future, it devours too many cultivators and malice greatly increases, you should remove the mechanical parts at its 'seven inches'. This will weaken it significantly."
"Any Night Rain Demon Weapon will develop malice over time. Periodically, you should install the 'seven inches' components. Allow the old inherent malignity and the new malice to kill each other off, to deplete each other—this is one way to control it. You must preserve the original malignancy, which has already been tamed by me. Being my own flesh and blood, it will also be somewhat close to you."
"Remember, reforging, Sealing Technique, and consumption of malignity are the three main methods to control this sickle. The specific details are all recorded in the 'Lava Fairy Palace Essence' that I've handed down."
Ning Zhuo nodded, indicating that he would definitely remember her instructions, and then said, "Mom, I want to share our secrets, including this one, with Boss Sun. Do you think that's okay?"
Meng Yaoyin smiled faintly and stroked Ning Zhuo's hair: "That's fine."
"Mom told you to keep it a secret before because she was worried about exposing our secrets, after all, strangers can't be trusted lightly."
"But over the years, I've been watching Sun Lingtong's performance and conduct."
"I must say, Little Zhuo, you are really very lucky."
"He is someone you can trust with your life and fortune."
"Of course, that's only up to now. People can change. You must always observe and remain vigilant."
"Don't show him the 'Lava Fairy Palace Essence' just yet. It is essential to be cautious of others and always leave a margin for yourself. If his heart remains unwavering, and it seems more suitable in the future, then you can show him the essence without worry."
Ning Zhuo shook his head slightly, his expression firm: "I believe in Boss Sun!"
Meng Yaoyin was slightly taken aback: "Little Zhuo, you've grown up. You have your own ideas now, and Mom is very happy about it. Then go ahead and do as you wish."
Seeing his mother's support, Ning Zhuo was overjoyed, his gaze resolute as he looked up at Meng Yaoyin: "Mom, just wait for me! I will definitely find a way to cure your injuries. I will take you back from the Lava Fairy Palace!"
Meng Yaoyin's heart trembled, she knew Ning Zhuo was clever and must have understood the intention behind the inheritance she was giving him.
Combining with the fact that her amnesiac periods were becoming longer over the years, the total time she truly regained her sanity was just one or two weeks out of a year.
Ning Zhuo would have guessed, the separation between mother and son was imminent.
She bent down and embraced Ning Zhuo in her arms.
Ning Zhuo didn't cry anymore, he just held Meng Yaoyin tightly.
...
Ning Zhuo, along with Sun Lingtong, "discovered" the underground base. He obtained the Cloud Concealed Bud, Night Wind Soft Iron, Floating Cloud Handkerchief, and other cultivation materials.
The "Lava Fairy Palace Essence" was also among them.
Sun Lingtong exclaimed, "Little Zhuo, your mother really put a lot of effort into this. She specially arranged this inheritance, and didn't give it to you before she died. On one hand, she was worried that someone would discover it and harm you covertly to steal the treasure. On the other hand, she was also concerned that, being young and wealthy, you would rest on the laurels of your ancestors, neglect your studies, and waste away in luxury and indolence, rather than striving for further progress."
"You managed to pass the test set by your mother and followed the clues to find this place by your own abilities; this is what your mother wanted to see."
"You have done very well!"
Ning Zhuo said, "If Boss Sun hadn't taught me how to steal, how could I have discovered the clues and ultimately found this place? Boss, thank you so much."
Sun Lingtong immediately puffed up with pride, hands on his hips, chuckling, "Of course!"
Ning Zhuo took a deep breath, holding back his nervous emotion, ready to lay it all out for Sun Lingtong.
Sun Lingtong said seriously, "The Cloud Concealed Bud is indeed a powerful tool. According to the records on the Jade Slip, it should be able to counteract various investigative spells like the Trace Origin Technique."
"Little Zhuo, this is a supreme protective weapon for you. You must make good use of it."
"You desire to seize the Lava Fairy Palace. You'll inevitably face various investigations in the future. I've always wanted to persuade you to join the Bukong Sect, because the Sect possesses profound secrets that can withstand such investigations. However, due to sect rules, only disciples are qualified to cultivate them."
"This Cloud Concealed Bud does indeed compensate for your significant vulnerabilities."
"However, I will not look at this 'Lava Fairy Palace Essence.'"
"Also, from now on, I don't want to know about anything that your mother left you."
Ning Zhuo asked in confusion, "Huh? Why?"
"You fool," Sun Lingtong said. "Didn't I just mention the Trace Origin Technique? Have I not spoken to you before about the Divine Hunter Office of Southern Bean Country?"
"We need to keep our own secrets; this way, if someone is caught in the future, the damage would be minimal, not implicating the others."
Sun Lingtong, who had been caught for theft many times before, spoke from rich experience and had the authority to say this.
"If you or I get caught in the future and undergo a Soul Search that reveals each other's information, wouldn't that just give others an opportunity to trace back the connections and take us all down in one fell swoop? On the contrary, as long as one of us remains uninvolved, the hope for future rescue is greater, right?"
Ning Zhuo had an epiphany: "No wonder when I was young, Boss Sun, you always reminded me that keeping my own secrets is the right thing to do."
"That's right! I am your Boss Sun, after all." Sun Lingtong chuckled triumphantly, hands on hips.
...
Ning Zhuo secretly studied the 'Lava Fairy Palace Essence.'
The Jade Slip recorded how Meng Yaoyin now infiltrated the Immortal Palace, continuously probed, exploited loopholes, and used her position as Commander to enter the main hall, take the throne, and exercise a portion of the Palace Master's authority.
The 'Essence' explicitly noted: "There should be a Palace Spirit in the Lava Fairy Palace, yet unseen."
Meng Yaoyin speculated that the Palace Spirit must be extremely weak, in eternal slumber, which caused the Immortal Palace to operate on its own, continuously falling below standards.
"What, my mother had Golden Core Cultivation?!"
"That's true; she has the Cloud Concealed Bud to mask her cultivation easily."
Ning Zhuo was shocked, yet he quickly came to terms with it.
His thoughts ran wild, spawning more questions: Why did his mother live incognito? And how did she meet and mate with his father? Could his father also be a Golden Core?
Unlikely!
Although Ning Zhuo had never met his biological father, he had gathered much from his mother and the villagers around him.
He knew his father, Ning Zhong, was devoutly loyal to the family, proud of the lineage, an honest man. It was unlikely that he, like Meng Yaoyin, hid his cultivation.
"The Lava Fairy Palace has many mechanical buildings, like the Five Elements Turret, the Command Platform, the Medical Pavilion, and so on."
"The origin of my mother's position originates from one of these."
"In the future, I should also learn from my mother, accumulate merits, and obtain positions."
"Hmm, positions come with command responsibilities. Perhaps, I too should make a wide array of friends, gathering strength to jointly occupy a mechanical building and monopolize its related positions?"
Ning Zhuo continued reading.
"The Zheng Family? Hmph!"
"The two Golden Core Ancestors of the Zheng Family, they've given my mother a hard time on multiple occasions."
"Although they weren't the cause of my mother's injuries, the fact that they often took action and clashed with her, delaying her recovery, is undeniable."
"When the opportunity arises in the future, I will repay them!"
Ning Zhuo did not forget the priority; he studied in detail how to control the Mechanical Sickle.
From the 'Lava Fairy Palace Essence', he learned the true name of the Mechanical Sickle — the Big Snake Scythe!
He carefully studied the three methods of controlling it.
First was the Sealing Technique, which indeed required a cultivation at the Golden Core Stage.
Second was the circuit re-refining, even more challenging, requiring a Top Grade smelting furnace.
Third, removing the seven-inch component and reinstalling it at a set time, allowing the old and new ferocities to counter each other internally.
...
Ning Zhuo, eight years old.
Watching the Mechanical Giant Snake swallow up the Cultivator corpses, Sun Lingtong couldn't help but exclaim, "Using it to clean up the battlefield is really handy."
"In the past two years, it has helped us eliminate many powerful enemies. Now that we're using it so adeptly, are you really planning to 'gift' it to the Zheng Family?"
Ning Zhuo nodded: "It's becoming more ferocious."
"The sealing power my mother left has been exhausted. We're not Golden Core Cultivators; we don't have the ability to reseal it."
"We lack a smelting furnace for re-refining; only the Zheng Family has that."
"We've countered the ferocity too many times, and the original threat is no longer as formidable. If this continues, the new ferocity will completely destroy the original one, and our control over the Big Snake Scythe will drop to the lowest!"
"Find an opportunity to hand it over to the Zheng Family, along with the mechanical diagram. I reckon the two Golden Core individuals of the Zheng Family won't be able to resist the temptation. They're bound to be passionate about re-refining the Big Snake Scythe."
"From now on, we've basically mastered the Black Market, and we'll keep stockpiling Night Wind Soft Iron."
"When the Zheng Family decides to reforge, they will certainly choose the best materials, which will be the Night Wind Soft Iron."
"At that time, I'll mix the original ferocity into the Night Wind Soft Iron, betting that the Zheng Family won't discover it!"
Sun Lingtong giggled, her eyes glinting, "What a clever plan, clever indeed. The artefacts of the Night Rain Dynasty are vastly different from the current cultivation methods. The chances of the Zheng Family detecting the original ferocity are slim."
"I'll take the Big Snake Scythe and place it in the Lava Fairy Palace."
"Um..."
"We can't directly 'give' it to the Zheng Family's Golden Core; we need to choose a suitable person as an intermediary. Hee hee hee!"